MANILA, May 22, (AFP): The Philippines said Thursday that two of its citizens working in Saudi Arabia have died from the MERS coronavirus.

Foreign Department spokesman Charles Jose said their relatives have been informed and efforts were being made to bring the bodies home. “Our consul general in Jeddah confirmed that there were two Filipinos who died of MERS,” he told AFP.

“The consulate is helping to repatriate their remains,” he said, adding that the deaths were recorded on May 12 and 18.